Alex of Venice

Alex of Venice
Directed by	Chris Messina
Written by	Jessica Goldberg Katie Nehra Justin Shilton Chris Messina (uncredited)
Produced by	Samantha Housman Jamie Patricof Lynette Howell Louise Runge
Starring	Mary Elizabeth Winstead Don Johnson Katie Nehra Chris Messina
Cinematography	Doug Emmett
Edited by	Amy P. McGrath
Music by	David Wingo
Production company	Electric City Entertainment
Distributed by	Screen Media Films
Release dates	April 18, 2014 (2014-04-18) (Tribeca Film Festival) April 17, 2015 (2015-04-17)
Running time	76 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Alex of Venice is a 2014 drama film directed by Chris Messina in his directorial debut. It is written by Jessica Goldberg, Katie Nehra and Justin Shilton. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson, Katie Nehra, Chris Messina, and Skylar Gaertner. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2014, and has expanded to a few other film festivals.

The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand beginning on April 17, 2015.

Cast

• Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Alex
• Don Johnson as Roger
• Derek Luke as Frank
• Katie Nehra as Lily
• Chris Messina as George
• Skylar Gaertner as Dakota
• Reg E. Cathey as Walt
• Timm Sharp as Josh
• Matthew Del Negro as James
• Michael Chernus as Trofimov

The following have cameos in the film

• Jennifer Jason Leigh
• Will McCormack

Production

On June 12, 2013, Showbiz 411 reported that Chris Messina would make his directorial debut with a script penned by Jessica Goldberg with characters written by Katie Nehra and Justin Shilton. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is set to star. Shooting began on June 17 and wrapped on the 17th of July.

Filming took place on location in Venice Beach.

Messina has stated he was inspired, and influenced by several filmmakers that he has worked for before. "I would say Woody Allen and Sam Mendes were huge inspirations. [Woody] casts his movies really well and then he kind of lets you go. [...] With Sam Mendes, he said something that I quote constantly. He told me that every actor comes with a gift, and it’s the director’s job to let that gift out." Messina has also named Kramer Vs. Kramer, Hannah and Her Sisters and the work of John Cassavetes as "models for the film's quiet naturalism".

Messina directed the film back-to-back while shooting The Mindy Project. He has said about the experience, “That was maybe the dumbest thing – it was grueling, and I would never do that again [...] I’d be on set at Mindy during the day and then editing at night, and constantly on the phone during breaks.”

Casting

Mary Elizabeth Winstead was cast in the film on June 12. She says of the script "I immediately loved it. It was one of those things where I cried like 5 times when I first read it. I just felt really connected to the role and thought it was so beautifully written."

Messina approached Don Johnson to play the role of Alex's father Roger. Johnson says he "wasn’t initially won over to play Alex’s father", but "Chris wouldn’t leave me alone – he came up to my house in North Los Angeles and I wasn’t really looking to work, so I dragged him to my boys’ basketball game and made him watch, and he feigned interest". Johnson ultimately agreed, saying he was "intrigued by Messina's infectious passion" and "the material resonated with me because it had different tempos and rhythms."

Upon casting himself in the movie, Messina said, “I thought there were a lot of other actors who could’ve done a better job [...] I was scared to do both (acting and directing), but I wanted to do it to learn what it’d be like. Maybe two weeks out, I was trying to convince Jamie [Patricof, producer] to hire somebody else!” But both Nehra and Shilton hoped for Messina for the role years ago. “He was our only George,” said Shilton.

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 18, 2014. Alex of Venice was also shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival on May 8, 2014 and at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 6, 2014.

In August 2014, Alex of Venice was picked up by Screen Media Films for release in early 2015. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand beginning on April 17, 2015.

Critical reception

Since its premiere, Alex of Venice has been received warmly by critics, receiving a 75% approval score, based on 28 sample reviews, on Rotten Tomatoes. Above all, the cast's performance has been highly praised by critics, with Winstead prominently singled out. Variety says, “Winstead gives an extraordinary performance in this uneven but pleasurably mellow indie.” Moviewallas.com adds, “A great deal of the film’s success lies in the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the lead.” Screen Invasion notes, “Winstead is quietly stunning in all of Alex’s various circumstances, from bewildered, overwhelmed and frazzled, to focused, confident and accepting.”

Johnson also received praise for his performance, with Galo Magazine saying, “Johnson’s ability to slip into the skin of his characters [...] has been underrated far too long.” Messina’s directing has also been commended. The Arts Guild says, “Messina has created a film that does successfully look at a [character’s] growth out of chaos”.

One common complaint against the movie is the script, that is said to “leave many details behind”.

External links

• Alex of Venice at IMDb
• Alex of Venice at Rotten Tomatoes